Portable vessel anchors are known to include a heavy body, a retention mechanism and a grasping mechanism. This arrangement allows for the anchor to sink into the water and reach the bottom surface, where the grasping mechanism serves to cling to the bottom, thereby holding the vessel in place. The retention mechanism is used to attach an anchor line (e.g., rope, chain) for retrieval purposes. Many designs have been employed to ensure that the grasping mechanism is sufficient to hold the vessel in a stable position on the water's surface. Other requirements demand that the anchor be made sturdy enough to withstand its rigorous use, heavy enough to find a suitable anchoring position on the bottom surface, and small enough to be stored safely and effectively on the vessel during non-use.
Several problems of boat anchors have not yet been completely overcome. Most significant among these problems involves the retrieval of the anchor after use. Today's anchors suffer from one of two opposing design flaws: the grasping mechanism is either insufficient to effectively hold the vessel to the bottom surface, or the grasping mechanism is such that, when the anchor is being retrieved, the anchor snags on anything in its path. Obviously, the first anchor is not suitable for reliable anchoring, as the anchor tends to become dislodged from the bottom surface prematurely. The second anchor, while it performs better than the first anchor during use, is often impossible to retrieve, as it tends to get caught in rock piles, seaweed patches, and the like. Many anchor designs have been employed that tries to solve these conflicting design requirements, without complete commercial success.
Prior art boat anchors include so-called "mushroom" anchors, claw anchors, Danforth anchors and Chene anchors. Several weaknesses are evident in these anchors, making them unsuitable for a wide variety of uses and under varying conditions. For example, mushroom anchors are not designed for use in securing heavier vessels, as the grasping power is not very great. As a result, under unexpected conditions such as high winds or strong currents (when it is most important that the vessel be stabilized), the anchor fails and the vessel is sent adrift.
On the other hand, the traditional claw anchor design, while much better than the mushroom anchor for grasping ability, tends to snag on seaweed, rocks, or other such impediments in the water during retrieval. As a result, the claw anchor is often lost when the vessel pulls so hard on the anchor line as to break it from the anchors retention mechanism.
Another problem with prior art boat anchors is that their construction material is typically much harder than the exterior surface of the vessel being anchored. Claw anchors are commonly made of a hardened steel, which can damage (scratch, or puncture) the side of the vessel during the anchor's ingress to or egress from the water. Some anchors are coated with a protective plastic, but this often becomes damaged or torn off after extended use.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a portable vessel anchor that is not constrained by the shortcomings of the prior art. In particular, there is a need for a vessel anchor with superior grasping ability that does not tend to snag on objects during retrieval. Moreover a vessel anchor that was constructed of such a material that would not be harmful to an exterior vessel surface would be an improvement over the prior art.